The case for teaching Indonesian in Australian schools has never been stronger. Yet enrolments have rarely been lower. A group of educators, researchers, and policymakers recently sat down to ask why.
Strategy
On 19 February, US President Donald Trump and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto met in Washington to sign the “Implementation of the Agreement Toward a New Golden Age for the US-Indonesian Alliance.” The term “alliance” sits uneasily with Indonesia’s law on foreign relations, which mandates a non-aligned foreign policy.
After meeting with Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles on Thursday, Sjafrie said that trilateral security arrangements would be developed with Indonesia, Australia and Japan, as well as between Indonesia, Australia and Papua New Guinea, according to the Reuters news agency.
Nearly 18 months into his five-year term, Prabowo Subianto is positioning himself as a South-East Asian leader of consequence, thrusting Indonesia into the spotlight on both sides of the geopolitical divide.
In February 2026, Australia and Indonesia signed a landmark bilateral Common Security Treaty. The deal enables Indonesia and Australia to consult each other in the event of unfavourable challenges to either country and, if appropriate, consider measures to be taken, either individually or jointly.
At the core of this agreement lie ideas that weave security and shared prosperity into one connected vision. The treaty focuses on making security talks and teamwork stronger than ever before.
A developing opportunity between Australia and Indonesia could underpin a green “powerhouse” partnership in a net-zero world, but coal-fired processing, downstreaming rules and geopolitics keep straining progress.
On 14 January 2026, Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono delivered the Foreign Minister’s Annual Press Statement, offering a stark and sobering diagnosis of the changing international system.
The Prabowo Subianto government is currently drafting a piece of legislation to counter disinformation and foreign propaganda amid allegations that hostile domestic and foreign actors are using cyberspace to undermine Indonesia’s national interests.
Indonesia has begun training a contingent of up to 8,000 soldiers it plans to send as part of an international peacekeeping force to Gaza, the first firm commitment to a critical element of U.S. President Donald Trump’s postwar reconstruction plan.
Australia-Indonesia Centre industry fellow and author Jemma Purdey said the treaty indicated any concerns Indonesia held about the AUKUS arrangement were in the past. President Prabowo has faced criticism at home for appearing to abandon the nation’s long-held foreign policy of non-alignment.
Born in Jakarta, Able Seaman Setiono immigrated to Australia at four years old. With his extended family still living in Indonesia, the tragic events of one of the world’s most catastrophic natural disasters rocked the Australian-Indonesia community to its core.
Minister Burke and Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, H.E. Djamari Chaniago, co-chaired the 11th Ministerial Council Meeting on Law and Security on 28 January.
Head of the Political Research Center (PRP) at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) said Indonesia and Australia, as middle powers, face similar challenges in navigating China’s growing economic, political, and military influence. This can directly impact security and defense policies, as well as regional stability.
Indonesia should tread carefully before deepening ties with Russia, analysts said, after President Prabowo Subianto made an unplanned visit to Moscow this week, raising questions about the diplomatic and economic costs of closer engagement – including how Washington could respond.
Cyber specialists from the Australian Defence Force and Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) gathered at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta this month to exchange insights and practical strategies to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
